Ultimate California Wine Blog

Beaulieu Vineyard is one of the few remaining Napa Vallery wineries with history that dates back before Prohibition. In 1900, George de Latour purchased a small estate for his wife, Fernande. George was contracted to produce wine for the church during prohibition and as production amounts grew, so did George’s fortune.

An octagonal building sits behind the original estate is the now the tasting room. It is two levels with the tasting bar on the upper floor and more gift items and rare library wines on the lower level. Finding quality library wines is a rarity so walking downstairs just to peruse is highly advisable.

It is slightly surprising that the amazing history of the estate is not more highly promoted; or perhaps it is in a separate building and I just missed seeing it. The upper level of the tasting room does include a few pictures and set above one of the doorways are some lovely antique wine amphoras. 

2002 Gewurztraminer – .8% residual sugar. Classic grapefruit with clean, crisp citrus. Perfumey but surprisingly sweet with a strident, mineral ending. $13.00

2004 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc – Bright and classically easy to drink with citrus and apple flavors. Simple mouthfeel. $13.00

2003 Carneros Chardonnay – Greenish in color, tropical fruit and butter dominate the aromas but give way to some pear. Vanilla couples with the bright fruit on the entry and brightens on the mid-palate. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir Vin Gris – Salmon in color with .25% residual sugar. Had a difficult time getting past the overt acidity and harshness. $13.00

2003 Carneros Pinot Noir – Medium in color and intensity, mostly raspberry notes with some chewy earthy qualities finished pale. $18.00

2002 Beauzeau – 66% Zinfandel, 13% Charbono, 6% Sangiovese, 6% Tempranillo, 4% Valeguie, 2% Petite Sirah, and 3% "Other." I adored this wine — Syrah-like in its inkiness, dark spice and dark fruit with hints of berry and aromas that teased with bacon and BBQ. Supple and easy-to-drink with tons of overt fruit. $24.00

2002 Signet Ensemble Red – 71% Syrah, 15% Grenache, and 14% Mourvedre. Another success with inky garnet colors showing dark berry, chocolate, and dried floral qualities. Thick, rich mouthfeel that shows balance and integrity. $25.00

2002 Rutherford Cabernet – Deep garnet tones in color. Aromas of green bell pepper and earthy olive somewhat dismayed. Classic Rutherford appellation qualities of layered mineral, earth, and cassis produced big tannins and that need time to mellow. $25.00

Beaulieu Vineyard ~ 1960 St. Helena Highway ~ Rutherford ~ CA ~ 94573 ~ 800-264-6918

It is true — I have had folks ask me when I would visit the Vatican of the Napa Valley. For what other analogy can be made for Robert Mondavi? Despite the recent upheaval in his corporation, the man himself can only be considered the reigning pope of the California wine industry.

Besides the heritage and history that Robert himself lends to the estate, many come to Mondavi to be introduced to Napa and the production of winemaking. No less than seven different types of tours are available, from the basics of winemaking, to food and wine pairing, to the (I’m told) romantic twilight tour which only takes place at 6:00 on Friday evenings. I decided to forgo any tours for my first visit, which also precluded me from tasting any of the reserve wines on this occasion. It was a quick stop only, intended to look around and taste quickly the standard offerings of the facility.

There are three different tasting rooms and the most public, Le Marche, is a pretty standard one as far as the valley is concerned including gift items and apparel. Surprisingly, the tasting bar is relatively small and each taste is charged for individually at $5.00 for each two-ounce pour. Guests are not allowed to "run up tabs" so if you want to taste through their entire offering (six on the day I was there), each guest would have to pony up $30. Still, if visiting for the first time or wanting to experience all aspects of a winery, Mondavi is a great place to start.

2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Stags Leap District – 100% stainless steel. Surprisingly creamy aroma with integrated tropical fruits. A hint of the classic cat pea appeared in the back of the sinuses and anticipated the sharp mouth entry. The initial acidity quickly subsided and blossomed to a brighter, engaging offering with a long, spiky finish. $23.00

2002 Fumé Blanc – Here’s a story not many people know: Robert Mondavi "invented" the Fumé Blanc in 1962.  What he really did was take the Sauvignon Blanc (which wasn’t very fashionable at the time), and gave it a French twist by hijacking part of the name from the Pouilley-Fumé, putting it in oak, and adding a little Semillon. This current offering was a harsh follow-up to the Sauvignon Blanc I had just tasted, but quickly warmed in showing lemon meringue on the nose (a distinct combination of lively citrus with layered cream notes). The finish was tighter than I would have liked. $17.00

2002 Chardonnay – Seven months is 20% new French oak (Mondavi ONLY ever used French oak!). This wine was very clear with upfront aromas of classic butter and hints of tropical fruit. The initial taste is robust but thins out too quickly with a mineral finish. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir – A tad murky in its garnet color, the raspberry bouquet revealed itself beside other fresh berries. Mineral tones dominated in the mid-palate and gave way to a thin, metallic finish. $21.00

2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Warm dark berry aromas couple with cassis and cocoa. A soft, Merlot-like entry has a bright flavor with even acidity. Quite drinkable. $25.00

2002 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon – Classic Oakville dustiness shows in aromas and flavor. Dried herbs and some twigs predominate in the nose. A bit tannic on the entry, the very dry mid-palate leaves a mineral ending. $40.00

2004 Muscato d’Oro – With 10% residual sugar this simple dessert wine at 8% alcohol could prove way too easy to drink. Sweet orange blossom and honey suckle aromas do not anticipate the slightly effervescent entry. Sweet and orange and floral in tones, an easy summer dessert. $20.00

Robert Mondavi Winery ~ Highway 29 ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 1-888-RMONDAVI (1-888-766-6328)